WordsOnToast

Summer Reads - Review of The Olive Branch by Jo Thomas

2015-07-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

I was very kindly given this to read by Headline and decided to read it when we were having lovely sunny weather, and it completely transported me to the Italian countryside.

The plotline

After a miserable break-up with her long-term boyfriend, Ruthie Collins drunkenly spends her half of the flat sale money on a run down farmhouse.....in Italy......on ebay. As you may already know, I am not an avid reader of 'chic-lit' novels, and the romance element seemed as predictable as they all generally are, the description of life in Italy, the culture, the people, the food, everything, was fantastic and spot on. You will 100% be transported to the beautiful rolling hills of Italy when you read this book, I promise. I started early on to daydream about buying my very own rundown farmhouse in Italy with my very own Italian love God...I digress.

When Ruthie turns up to her farmhouse in the pouring rain, she is shocked to discover just how much work she will have to do. She is also greeted by a goat who thinks he owns the property and a very angry neighbour.As she starts to realise just how much time, effort and money will be needed to make the house liveable again, she starts to wonder if she has made a terrible mistake. Her mother, boyfriend and brother have already made it clear to her that they think it is a crazy idea for her to by the house in Italy. As she slowly begins to settle in and work on her new home she battles the locals, feeling lonely and the wrath of the family next door who believe the house is not hers to buy.

Along with the slightly predictable romance element which I still enjoyed, Ruthie starts to learn some life lessons, and find what truly makes her happy. If you want an easy read which transports you to Italy and all it's beauty. this is a great summer time read.

Review of The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

2015-07-24T04:47:00.000-07:00

I bought this novel from an antique shop a few months ago and recently decided it was time to give it a read. I also saw that it was being given free as an ebook on iTunes for a limited time, so hopefully some of you had had the opportunity to read it for free.

The story is about the kidnapping of Mia Dennett, the daughter of a prominent and infamous judge and what happens before and after her disappearance. Mia meets a stranger at a bar, goes home with him and thus begins the events of Mia's kidnapping.When Mia is returned to her family, she has no memory of what happened to her when she was kidnapped, and her memories slowly start to unravel as the novel goes on. It is told in two parts, before and after. I found this method interesting but at the same time it broke up the momentum of the story and wanted to read fluidly what happened during Mia's kidnapping. Most of the 'after' parts are about how Mia is struggling to remember what happened and how her family (mainly her Mother) are worried about her and how they all try to help her remember. Different parts of the novel are from different characters points of view which I enjoyed. The most interesting and complex character by far has to be Colin, the mysterious kidnapper.

At first, Colin seems to be your typical criminal without a heart, hardened to a life of committing crimes. But, as the story unravels, his character becomes much more interesting, more grey than black and white and his story became incredibly emotive. There are some great twists in the novel, not all of which are overly believable, but they still make a good ending to the novel. The main reveal, which I won't mention as I don't want to spoil the novel for those that haven't read it, was so incredibly sad and my heart went out to Mia.

This is a great psychological thriller with a heart,easy to read, somewhat disjointed at times (the romance between Eve and the detective-meh) but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more of her novels in the future.

Review of The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker

2015-07-23T08:04:00.001-07:00

I first saw this book on the way back from a trip down south in a well known motorway services store... and it really caught my eye visually. Not only because the book cover looked appealing, it was a big chunk of a book, which I love (over 700 pages fyi) and when I read the description on the back I just had to read it. The translation into English is also faultless, so well done Sam Taylor.

The story is about what happened during the summer of August 1975, when local girl, fifteen year old Nola goes missing. It is also about what happens when 35 years later Nola's remains are dug up in the garden of the famous writer Harry Quebert's home. Not only does this make Harry look somewhat guilty, but buried with her is his manuscript to his best selling novel. Bad times for Harry.

The novel is narrated by Harry's best protege, Marcus Goldman, who comes to the aid of Harry when he is arrested for Nola's murder and starts to investigate what really happened on that fateful night in Somerset, New Hampshire all those years ago. He begins to write a novel about his investigations and why he believes that Harry is not guilty of Nola's murder. Whilst Harry certainly is the main suspect, Marcus thinks that Harry is only guilty of loving a fifteen year old girl and writing his masterpiece based on this forbidden love.

Twist after twist

Without giving any of the plot away other than what you can read on the back, this novel is so full of twists and turns it will leave you slack jawed and open mouthed in shock. Those twists just keep on coming!As Marcus starts to delve into the past, we learn more and more about the dark secrets some of the inhabitants of Somerset have, and also about the affair between Harry and Nola. We also learn more about the relationship between Marcus and Harry and how Harry was much more than a teacher to Marcus and even more than a friend. I didn't especially warm to Marcus and I found him rather one dimensional, which is fine as there is so much happening within this unique and captivating crime novel as it stands.

If you are looking for a light read. this may not be for you only in terms of it's sheer length. It is easy to read though and there are so many layers to it and so many shocks. It is also a book about love, emotions, bonds, loss, being a writer and so much more. I would thoroughly recommend reading this even if you are not into crime novels, as this is so unique and so much more than a whodunnit.

Review of In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

2015-07-02T04:15:00.002-07:00

Sine I was about six or seven and discovered Are You There God? , It's Me Margaret, I have been a massive fan of Judy Blume's novels and quickly devoured them all as a young girl. As an adult I read her adult fiction book Summer Sisters, which I also loved. When I heard that Judy was releasing a new novel after 16 years, I was so excited to read it as she has a magic touch with her characters and makes you really care about them.

What is the story about?

The novel focuses on a range of characters living in Elizabeth in the early 1950's during a series of plane crashes that affected everyone in the area. The books main character is Miri, a 15 year old girl who has a single mother and lives with her, her grandmother and Uncle in a two story house. We learn all about her feelings about her long lost father, her relationship with her family, in particular her mother, and her relationships with friends and her first boyfriend. As we get to know Miri we see how the plane crashes affect her and the people around her.

There are rather a lot of characters in the book, but they are all linked in some way to the plane crashes that really did occur in the early 1950's in Elisabeth. Sometimes we get to know a character just before they board a plane that crashes, which for me did succeed in making the crashes even more sad and terrifying at the same time. We see how the crashes affect people in different ways, how they cope with such awful disasters, one after the other is interesting and really makes you think about how you would cope if that happened to you. *Shudder.

The start of modern day aviation

As we see many relationships in Miri's life fall apart after the crashes and that she is going to start a new life in Las Vegas, the book then cuts to 35 years later in 1987. Many of the people in Miri's life from the time of the crashes have gathered together to commemorate and pay tribute to those who died, the survivors and those that were heroic. Learning about what had happened to the characters so many years later was very interesting, but I felt that cutting to Miri 35 years later left me feeling distanced from her when only a few pages earlier I felt I knew her so well. I felt sad about one relationship not happening, if you have read the book you will know who I mean no doubt.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, the nostalgia of the 1950's, getting to know Miri and the other characters and the terror of the skies when aeroplanes were still so new and exciting, until that fateful year. The novel is about families, growing up, love, culture of the 50's, tragedy and so much more.I was very interested to learn that Judy really had lived through these air disasters in her youth in Elizabeth, and you can really tell her heart and soul has gone into the book. For me, the magic of Judy Blume is the way she manages to make her characters come to life, I always feel that I know them so well and I really do care how they feel and what happens to them. It really made me reminisce about her teen fiction all those years ago. Am I too old to read Forever again? Ok, maybe not Forever, maybe Tiger Eyes....

The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

2015-06-22T09:25:00.001-07:00

Published 29th May 2015 by W&N in Hardback

To describe this book quickly and easily, it is a bit like the film Sliding Doors. It is a story about Jim and Eve and we read about three different versions of their lives where different fates and decisions awaited them.

Throughout the book we read about the three variations on their lives and the decisions they make that will impact their whole lives. This is not a happily ever after kind of book, it deals with real issues, relationship problems, heartache, family issues and the complexities of every day life. I read this in ebook format and because it wasn't as easy to flick back to check, I did get rather confused initially about which version was which. It is a long and winding novel full of twists and turns and what if's.

Decisions made

Jim and Eve first meet in 1958 when she has a puncture in her bicycle. The decisions made after this will go onto create the three versions of what could have been for Jim and Eva. It is not just a love story, it is a story about peoples lives and the decisions they make. It is about dealing with the complexities of life and love and dealing with what life throws at us. The novel covers a wide range of subject matters and gets very deep and raw at times. It is not as simple as, if Eve and Jim are together they will have their happily ever after, as we all know, life is never so simple.

I would definitely recommend this novel if you like authors such as Ian McEwan or Judy Blume, where the author takes on everyday life and it;s ups and downs and you really get to know the characters inside and out. A beautifully written novel which is complex, raw, realistic and moving.

Review of One Small Act of Kindness by Lucy Dillon

2015-05-25T08:24:00.002-07:00

Published April 23rd 2015 by Hodder & Stoughton

I am not normally a reader of many 'Women's fiction' or "Chick-Lit' whatever you want to label it as. I have no issue with it and I have read some books which fall into this category which were fantastic reads. What drew me to One Small Act of Kindness was the idea behind the novel. Small acts of kindness to our fellow humans can really change their lives for the better. Doing one nice thing for someone else can make a huge difference to their lives and I totally buy into that.

The story is about a married couple called Libby and Jason who have moved back to where he used to live to save his parents hotel after his dad dies. Before they had a fairly luxurious lifestyle and home in London. His mother, Margaret, is still grieving and the hotel has been losing money. The couple become joint owners of the hotel with Margaret and set about doing it up so that they can attract more visitors.

Libby's one small act of kindness

Libby and Jason haven't been at the hotel very long when there is an accident outside on the country road. A woman has been hit by two cars and is lying unconscious in the road. Libby rushes to her and instructs one of the drivers to call the police and an ambulance and she sits with the woman and talks to her until they arrive. When the woman in the accident comes round in hospital she has no idea who she is and has no memories. Libby visits her a few times at the hospital and offers to let her stay at the hotel until her memory returns or someone comes to find her.

Before I go to Sleep

There are elements of Before I go to Sleep in at as 'Pippa' as the woman with amnesia calls herself at first deals with having no memories of the past, no memories of her partner and this is for me the strongest storyline in the novel and the most interesting to be honest. We, the reader, share her frustrations and wariness as she starts to piece together her past. Libby and Jason have left their demons behind in London (or have they..) but the stress of trying to deal with Margaret and the hotel and finances may prove too much for them.

I liked this novel. I enjoyed the dog elements very much, although parts where so upsetting and sad! The characters were very well written and I could picture them all so easily in my head. There were certain parts which I won't spoil for you, that made me think that it wasn't likely to be that way 'in real life', but it is a work of fiction after all. There are strong elements of friendship, kindness, love, family and secrets. It is funny at times, sad, and creepy and I would say this novel has a real heart to it.

Review of Day Four by Sarah Lotz

2015-05-14T06:23:00.001-07:00

Published in Hardback on 21st May 2015 (UK) by Hodder & Stoughton

After reading The Three by Sarah Lotz and throughly enjoying it (see my review here ) I really couldn't wait to read the follow up Day Four, and let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed.

Whilst I found The Three to be unsettling at most and at times creepy, Day Four takes the scary/creepy factor to a whole new level. Set on a cruise ship, Beautiful Dreamer, the story gets creepier and more claustrophobic in each chapter. Everything starts off fine on days one to three, but on the fourth day aboard, the ship suddenly stops moving. There is no radio or wifi signal and no clear idea of why the ship has stopped. As the days progress, passengers start to panic, food runs low, the toilets stop flushing, their is no electricity and people start to behave increasingly erratic as their panic grows. A virus breaks out causing people to be very sick which makes things much worse considering they are stuck on a boat with no sign of rescue.Then both passengers and some crew members start to see strange things, apparitions, and when they find the body of a murdered woman in her room, things go from bad to worse.

The characters

Throughout the story there are some key characters whom we follow in the story. There is Maddie, (The Witch's Assistant) the assistant to the famous medium aboard the ship, Celeste, who knows she is a fake but can't get a better job because of her past. Celeste is the medium who has an organised event aboard the cruise but is running away from a scandal back at home.Two elderly women known as the 'Suicide Sisters', Helen and Elise who have come on the cruise for their own private reason you can probably guess from the name they are given. Then there is one of the maids on the ship, Althea (The Devil's Handmaiden) who secretly hates most of the passengers and her colleagues but has to pretend to be nice in order to keep her job. Then there is the doctor, Jessie (The Angel of Mercy) who has a secret past and fights a daily battle to keep his demons at bay. Gary is known as the 'Condemned Man' and he does very bad things which are about to catch up with him. There are more characters, many more, but the chapters are each split by the person narrating, which is usually one of the characters I have mentioned.

Things start to get very strange when the medium Celeste starts to act increasingly odd and not her usual grumpy drunken self. Her readings become a daily event and she is unnervingly correct about everything she says about her fellow passengers. She doesn't seem to need sleep or eat or use the bathroom which makes her assistant Maddie extremely perturbed.Slowly but surely she starts to take over the ship as more people get ill or go slightly mad, around her is an oasis of calm and cleanliness, almost like a cult following.

My thoughts....

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and after finishing the novel you can see the link with The Three as certain bits in the book cleverly link back to the first novel. The feeling of society aboard the ship falling apart and people acting like animals feels extremely real as does the claustrophobic nature of the story. I found it to be extremely creepy and could easily imagine it being a terrifying movie that I would have to watch behind a huge pillow ( I know my scary film limitations).

If you read The Three and enjoyed it I would say that this novel is written completely differently and the story does not follow on from what happens in The Three except for a few character references from the first novel. I would say you don'y HAVE to read The Three first to get Four Days but it would help to understand the deeper meaning of the book and the things that happen aboard the ship. What a page turner! Phewf!

Review of Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent

2015-04-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Unravelling Oliver is a tense, suspenseful, psychological thriller which I devoured in two sittings.The very first line tells you an awful lot about the book:

"I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her"

The story centre's around the main character Oliver, who we very quickly learn has hit his wife Alice and that this is not something he has ever done before. Later the same day he does something even worse and here begins the complete unravelling of Oliver. We learn about different times of his life and things which happened to him from narrators that knew him from childhood, or at certain points in his life and and from himself describing certain events himself. This is brilliantly written and all the characters really come alive in their parts of the book. They also give a rounded view of what Oliver was like and what he did from their point of view. This also gives us the reader a much better understanding of Oliver and why he is the way he is.

The only character that we really never get to know in the narratives is his wife, Alice. She is always described by other people and we never get to hear her side of the story, due to Oliver's actions. Although I did feel sorry for her and her fate, I do think she let him get away with treating her badly with his cheating and not letting her have children.Letting him send her brother Eugene away also irritated me, stand up for yourself woman I was inwardly screaming at her whilst reading.

Irish thriller

The novel is set in Ireland and spans many years, from Oliver as a child to the present day.There is also a great deal of the novel set in France after Oliver spends one summer there before college. This is a very important part of the narrative and things that happen here reflects on most parts of Oliver's life thereafter.

I found the book to be thoroughly gripping, certain events are rather harrowing, sad and disturbing and what brings the story to life is how well it is written, sometimes with a humour needed during dark events. Liz makes the characters come alive from the pages, I felt like I had a very clear idea of everyone who was in the book, their characters and personalities. I don't want to give anything away but I would definitely give it a read if you like a gripping thriller that is very well written and unputdownable.

Review of The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Theriault

2015-04-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

Firstly, the book itself is very pretty indeed and looks lovely on my bookshelf. I do judge a book by it's cover, I can't help it I'm afraid. This is the story of a postman called Bilodo who lives and works in Montreal, Canada and the novel has been translated from French to English.. Bilodo is a very isolated character, he doesn't have any real friends to speak of and he doesn't like to socialise with anyone. His only 'friend' is another postman Robert, who is mean and crude to him, always trying to get him to go out getting drunk, going to strip clubs and meeting women.

Bilodo's very favourite pastime is to steam open other people's letters and read the contents, something he knows he should not be doing, but he likes to live his life through the words of strangers. His favourite letters to read are between a woman called Ségolène from Guadeloupe and a man called Gaston Grandpré who is a published poet. and lives in Montreal. They write single Japanese Haiku to each other which although Bilodo doesn't really understand them , he finds her words beautiful. He begins to fall in love with Ségolène and her touching poetry.

During a normal working day, Bilodo is witness to an awful accident where Gaston Grandpré is run over in the street. He is clutching a letter he wanted to post to Ségolène . Bilodo tries to retrieve the letter but it goes into the gutter before he can get hold of it. This begins the downward spiral of Bilodo and his obsession with the woman he has never met. He eventually manages to move into the apartment that Gaston Grandpré lived in, with all his belongings and writings still there. he begins to write haiku himself and starts to correspond with Ségolène, pretending to be the deceased poet.

My thoughts

If you are a fan of Japanese fiction when tends to mix reality and symbolic, metaphysical elements then you will probably like this. If you like poetry, especially haiku, then this would be a very interesting read as Bilodo begins to learn the art of haiku and immerses himself in the practice. He becomes obsessed with perfecting it so that his beloved will not realise he is an impostor. The novel is written beautifully and you really sense the overwhelming obsession that overtakes Bilodo as well as learning all about haiku. I really liked the ending and it certainly brought a supernatural element to the novel which I normally expect from Japanese fiction. I have to admit that I am not a big poetry fan and some parts with lots of haiku I did glance over and turned the page. It is a very unusual novel and there is something very special about it and I am glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Review of The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

2015-02-18T06:01:00.001-08:00

Having never read Child 44 or any other of Tom Rob Smith's books, I picked this up after reading the back of the book, and yes, I liked the cover and it reflects the story perfectly. This psychological thriller has a very simple, gripping premise. Daniel lives in London with his partner Mark, he has just been shopping when he gets a disturbing phone call from his father. His parents have recently retired to Sweden where they bought a farm. His father is crying and tells Daniel there is something wrong with his mother, that she has had some sort of mental breakdown and is imagining awful things.He tells Daniel she is in a mental hospital in Sweden. Daniel is completely baffled by the phone call, having never heard his father cry and believing everything was going well for his parents in Sweden prior to the phone call. He decides to book a flight to Sweden the next morning, but whilst he is at Heathrow he gets a phone call from his mother....

"Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm not mad... I need the police... Meet me at Heathrow."

Therein begins a gripping tale where Daniel is caught between his parents, who to trust and ultimately who to believe. He must listen to his mother's story and evidence before deciding if it is true, if a crime has been committed and even more difficult, is his father a criminal?

I couldn't stop reading (cliche I know)

From the very beginning of the book the tale of Daniel and his parents is gripping, it clings to you, you think about it when you can't read it and try to work out what is happening, what the ending will be and ultimately who Daniel will believe. The book is written in short chapters, often with his mother's narrative, Daniel's thoughts and their mother and son interactions as she lays down the evidence for her only child. The story is about secrets, lies, family, child abuse, sexuality and mental health. There are some truly shocking twists to the story and the ending was both sad and thoroughly absorbing. Out of all the characters I found it hard to feel very much either way towards Daniel until towards the end of the book, but the family relationship with himself and his parents remains strong throughout, especially when reflecting on Daniel's childhood. His mother Tilde is the stand out character and I really did feel for her even not knowing if what she was saying was true. I would throughly recommend The Farm if you are a crime/thriller lover or even if you like a good meaty story which at times can be disturbing yet enthralling.

Review of The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard

2015-02-05T04:35:00.000-08:00

Sara Shepard has graced us with another book series very much like Pretty Little Liars, with a dash of the TV show Revenge thrown in for good measure. The Perfectionists is a slightly darker, edgier version of PLL and the main female characters not so glamorous (no Kate Spade in sight!), not so perfect looking and with many issues of their own.

Revenge

The novel centres on five girls (Caitlin, Parker, Mackenzie, Ava and Julie) who have one thing in common, they all have very private and personal reasons for hating the richest, most popular boy in town, Nolan Hotchkiss. When he turns up dead at his own party after the girls plot revenge, they realise someone is out to frame them for the murder of Nolan...but who?

Got to be perfect or else...

The title of the novel refers to the fact that in all the girls lives, wether it be being the best musician, the perfect soccer player, the best popular person, they all struggle to be perfect and to hide their own insecurities and secrets. The novel is written in the same fashion as PLL, unanswered questions, being watched, followed, tricked and manipulated. Sara plays with the readers just as she always does, and I have to admit I really enjoyed it.

I was a fan of the Pretty Little Liar books, even as they got increasingly ridiculous, I just couldn't stop reading them. In my mind they are light relief, easy to read and entertaining, just as The Perfectionists is so far. I am looking forward to the next in the series (The Good Girls) out June 2nd.

Review of the Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins

2015-01-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

Heralded as the new 'Gone Girl' and 'Before I Go to Sleep' this thriller for me topped both of these books, there I have said it.The similarity between this novel and S J Watson's Before I go to Sleep is the use of an unreliable narrator. Where memory loss is the issue in Before I Go To Sleep, alcohol abuse is the main factor in this gripping tale.

What happens in the book?

The novel centres around a lonely commuter called Rachel, who gets the same train morning and evening in and out of London. At one particular stop she can see into the backs of a row of houses and regularly sees one couple in particular. In her mind she has given them both names, jobs and daydreams about their perfect idlilic lives. That is until one day she sees something that shatters this illusion and when a police investigation unfolds, she has to decide wether she should tell the police what she saw.

This is the main story of the book but so much more happens, of course I don't want to spoil it for you. Rachel has her own demons to bare, she is still hung up over the loss of her marriage and has taken to drinking too much. Sometimes she blacks out and can't remember what happens which is one of the main factors in the novel. We question what she says and does, has she remembered correctly? What happened the night before when she woke up bleeding from the head? The story of Rachel unfolds as the story goes along.

The characters in the book are brilliantly written, there are so many twists and turns, you literally cannot put the book down.Whilst in Gone Girl both characters were wholly unlikeable and ridiculous (in my opinion), I did feel a lot of sympathy for Rachel and the things she was going through, although at times I felt she went a little Bridget Jones (Not a bad thing necessarily). If you did enjoy the novels I have mentioned, or just like a really gripping thriller I would definitely read this.

Review of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

2015-01-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

I have read a lot about this book before deciding to finally read it. The push was reading Landline by Rainbow and really enjoying it.After finishing Eleanor and Park I felt like it sucked me in so deeply I was left feeling short of breath.I fell in complete and utter love with it.It is the story of Park, a half Korean teenager who is into music and comics but also does martial arts with his dad and brother once a week. One day on the school bus he saves new girl Eleanor from complete embarrassment as no one will give her a seat. After that they sit together on the school bus everyday and he realises that she is also reading his comics. He starts to bring in more comics for her to borrow and tapes for her to listen to until finally they talk to each other.Eleanor doesn't fir in, she wears oversized mens clothes, has wild red curly hair and doesn't conform in the slightest. The other people at school give her the title 'Big Red', charming eh.Eleanor holds so much back that it's only towards the end of the novel Park learns of what has happened to her and the truth about her home life.

The reasons I loved it

Although it is written for young adults it doesn't take the reader to be an idiot or need to be spoon fed information. It is beautifully written and much is said but not written if that makes sense.Eleanor is such an interesting female character, it isn't just a love story, it is about a girl utterly scared to death, hopeless that anyone could love her or care about her, and unable to reveal the secrets that are holding her back from really living or ever being happy.I really felt sorry for the situation she was in at home and I found it so interesting and lovely to see Eleanor through Park's eyes. How amazing and beautiful he found her. I also adored Park, and it's not often I like both leading characters so much, but he isn't your typical Jock, or sulking bad boy. He is unique, has a quiet confidence and learns to accept himself. during the novel

Without giving any spoilers, the story is so well told, so believable, you get completely drawn into the story of both characters and really get behind them. I also found it heart wrenching for a number of reasons, her home life when it finally erupts and what this means for Eleanor and Park. But wether you are a young adult or adult, I would thoroughly recommend reading this book. It has everything a good solid fiction book should, it isn't cheesy in anyway. It is tenderly written, the characters wholly believable and is one of those special books that stays that little bit in your heart.

I love this digital painting by Simini Blocker of Eleanor and Park kissing....

Review of Landline by Rainbow Rowell

2015-01-07T05:58:00.002-08:00

From the author of Fangirl and Eleanor and Park comes Landline, a story about a thirty something year old woman called Georgie McCool. Georgie is married to Neal and they have two children and live in a house in Calabasas. Their marriage has been suffering for a while because Georgie works as a script writer for a sitcom with her best friend Seth and is often away from home, working weekends and late nights. Neal is a full-time house husband, he does everything around the home and for the children as well as looking after Georgie when she comes home late.

Georgie and Seth have been working on their own sitcom for years and finally have the call to say a huge TV network want to commission the series, BUT they have to write the rest of the episodes in just a week or so. This means Georgie can't go with Neal and the girls to spend Christmas with his family in Omaha. Neal and the girls leave under a dark cloud, and Georgie senses Neal is far from happy with her. Georgie starts to spend her time at her old family house where her younger sister, mother and her partner live. She realises that something is really wrong with her marriage and she spends each day trying to contact Neal on his mobile, but he never picks up. So, she goes into her old bedroom and plugs in the landline she used to use twenty years ago, but when she finally speaks to Neal, it isn't Neal in the present, it's Neal twenty years ago....

A great twist

I don't want to give away the whole plot of this novel but I really enjoyed it and really felt Georgie's pain and frustration over her relationship. I initially thought this was a young adult novel because of Rowell's other novels and whilst it is about thirty-something people, it reads like a teen novel and is modern and fresh.It is a story essentially about love and maintaining a relationship and a family. It is also very funny in places, with Georgie's sarcastic sister Hannah and her mother lending Georgie inappropriate lingerie. The story follow the nine days from when she is left alone to write the content for the new sitcom to Christmas day and at times Georgie can be frustrating, as days go by and she gets no work done, I was thinking, DO something! Get your husband back!I will certainly be reading Rowell's other books after this.

Blog Tour-Review for Breeder by K.B Hoyle

2014-12-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

The Breeder Cycle Book 1 Published December 11th 2014 by The Writer's Coffee Shop

Breeder to me, is a dystopian novel aimed at the Teen market, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story myself and I am way past being a teenager. It reminds me of a number of novels I have read including, The Hunger Games and the Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver. If you are a fan of these types of novels then I don't think you will be disappointed with Breeder.

What is the novel about?

We first meet the narrator of the book, number 17 who is a Breeder for the Unified World Order. Her genetics are perfect, her life is perfect in her home, the Sanctuary. There she lives with her 'sisters' about 30 other girls who are all genetically and physically superior to other humans, which is why they have been chosen to be a carrier. They have their lives controlled, from what they eat to how much exercise they do, and to how to behave. They have been taught about the devastation of mankind and that the only way to stop it happening again is to have all deformities removed from the gene pool, this include those with freckles, those with ginger or blonde hair, the list goes on. Number 17 and her sisters are given the best nutrition and care so that they can carry a baby and create a healthy genetically perfect child.

Number 17 has already carried one child, but during the second carry she has to have a procedure to get rid of the child which leaves her questioning the UWO, 'Mother' who runs the Sanctuary and everything she thought about her life. As she comes round from the procedure she sees a man who tells her his name is Pax and asks for her name which is Pria. No men are allowed in the sanctuary so it leaves her feeling uncertain. When she asks Mother, she tells her she made it up in her head, but as Pria starts to become more and more unhappy, will Pax be the escape she needs and what happens when she learns the real truth of the United World Order?

The next novel in the series is called Criminal and is out in 2015, and I for one, cannot wait.

Breeder Blog Tour December 2014

2014-12-08T08:01:00.002-08:00

Look out for my review of Breeder by K.B Hoyle tomorrow as part of a blog tour for this fantastic new book!

Graphic Novel Review- Sex Criminals Volume 1

2014-12-04T06:00:00.002-08:00

Suzie learns one evening as a teenager that when she orgasms, time stops. At first she wonders if this happens to everyone, but after much research, she realises that it seems to be just her that this crazy thing happens to. That is until she meets Jon at a party and they both realise they stop time during sex and a certain part of Jon's anatomy glows... Jon decides that they should actually use the freezing of time to have fun, so they go wild in a sex shop before deciding to rob banks to save Suzie's local library. This is when things start to go slightly wrong...

Original and witty

I wasn't sure what I was expecting from this graphic novel, but I found it to be witty, dark humoured, clever and a real breath of fresh air. I realised how much I liked it when page after page of Suzie singing Queen's Fat Bottomed Girls had to be left out because of legal issues, instead of shying away from this fact, it became one of the highlights of the novel.

I found Suzie to be really likeable and funny and I enjoyed the relationship elements of Suzie and Jon getting to know each other. Obviously there is sex in the novel (shock, horror) but it wasn't offensive or done just for the sake of it. As I have said in the past, I am not into the superhero type graphic novels, so this is a great, entertaining and very funny alternative. The artwork was really impressive on the cover pages, see below.I can't wait to read Volume 2 in the New Year.

Review of Daughter by Jane Shemilt

2014-11-05T06:07:00.001-08:00

Does anyone else agree that the cover of this reminds them a lot of Room by Emma Donoghue? Just me then...The premise of this novel is that the teenage daughter of Jenny and Ted goes missing one night and as they start to search for her, secrets and lies slowly unravel.

Then and Now

The story is told both from the days leading up to and after Naomi's disappearance, then over a year on. It is told from the mother's point of view, Jenny who is a GP and has teenage twin boys as well as Naomi. We learn about the days leading up to Naomi going missing and the hunt for her afterwards. We also learn of what has happened over the past year, how the family have fallen apart and still they have no answers about Naomi. That is until a secret is revealed and finally both Jenny and the police start to unravel the truth about what happened to Naomi.

I found the parts talking about what happened around her disappearance more interesting than the year on, which tended to be quite slow.Also, I didn't find any of the characters to be very likeable, especially Jenny the narrator of the novel. Whilst I did feel sorry for her over her missing daughter, another part of me kind of blamed her to a degree. Saying that, it did seem that Ted, the father was at home even less, yet we are made to blame Jenny for not knowing what was happening to her teenage children. I did find some of the many secrets to be far fetched but I suppose it was to highlight how little Jenny and Ted knew about their children.

Conclusion

It was one of those novels which you have to keep reading to find out what happened to Naomi and I wasn't disappointed, especially with the extra twist at the end. With this kind of novel, I don't mind not liking any of the main characters as I was reading ti to find out what happened, rather than to have any emotions for them. If you like to bond with characters in novels, you may find it difficult to in this case. I did have high hopes for this novel, especially with all the hype, and whilst it was gripping at times, it wasn't as good as I had hoped.

Review of The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop

2014-10-21T04:47:00.003-07:00

Publisher-Headline Review
25th September 2014

This long awaited new novel by Victoria Hislop is based around real historical happenings, this time in Famagusta, Cyprus in the summer of 1972.At the beginning of the novel, Famagusta is one of the most popular resorts in the Mediterranean. Both Turkish and Greek Cypriots work together in harmony, two sets of families decide to make Famagusta their own after escaping violence in other areas of the island.We follow what happens to both sets of families and that of a couple who have built a luxury hotel 'The Sunrise" there after a Greek coup ensues.

Worth the wait

I was really looking forward to reading The Sunrise, as a big fan of Victoria's previous novels and I wasn't disappointed. It was a little slow to get going, in order to establish the main characters, and a number of chapters in until the coup happened. She brings the history to life in a very personal and tragic way and describes perfectly the island as it was before the Turkish invasion and how it affected the inhabitants afterwards.

For any fans of Hislop's previous work, you will not be disappointed, and for those that like historical fiction, or even a good heart wrenching story, I would thoroughly recommend giving this a read.

Review of Butter by Erin Jade Lange

2014-10-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

Butter is the story of a sixteen year old boy who is morbidly obese, weighing over 400 pounds. He narrates the story and we learn how alone he is both at school and at home. Butter has a great sense of humour and this is executed well throughout the novel, given the subject matter that unfolds. I found myself getting really annoyed and upset for him with how his schoolmates treat him, but at the same time I could understand why they behaved in that way. His mother overfeeds him and his Father ignores him, and he just can't stop eating.

"The only thing that ever really fitted was food.Inside me.And the more food I fitted in me, the less I fitted anywhere else."

There is quite a harrowing story of how and why he got the nickname 'Butter', but everyone calls him this. One of his only friends, a music teacher at the school, calls him Butter as he thinks he plays his beloved saxophone 'like butter'. Butter spends his days at school alone, eating at the oversized table in the canteen and the oversized desks in class. At home he plays the saxophone or speaks to the gorgeous Anna online. She only knows him as 'SaxMan' and doesn't know he is the obese guy that sits at the back of the class. He often drives to the mountains he used to visit with his dad, before his dad stopped talking to him and plays and plays his saxophone.

New Years Eve

One day he gets so fed up of living this life of overeating and being isolated, he decides that on New Year's Eve he will eat himself to death...live on the internet.He creates a website called butterslastmeal.com and as his classmates start to see what he is going to do, they give him attention, invite him to social occasions, parties and Butter starts to realise that having friends and socialising is all he ever really wanted. As the story progresses he starts to learn that maybe they aren't genuine friends after all, and they really do want to see him have his last meal.

As a reader I was really intrigued as to wether he would go through with it, hoping he wouldn't and I have to say it was really well written in the end.Somehow, Erin manages to make Butter seem so real, not perfect, full of flaws but so very relatable and human. His every emotion is captured so well and at times can be uncomfortable, sad and upsetting. Other main characters include Tucker, Butter's friend from FatCamp, who annoyed me with his lack of empathy for Butter and Anna, I could never really work out why Butter liked her so much apart from being beautiful. For me, Butter is the only character that comes to life off the pages and the rest of the characters are merely background.

This novel is definitely for fans of John Green, the humour and writing style, the characters set in high school, are all very similar. This is a unique story but also a coming of age story, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would recommend to all.

Published 4th September 2012

Publisher Bloomsbury USA books

Eren by Simon P Clark- Blog Tour Stop

2014-10-02T01:56:00.000-07:00

"People are keeping secrets from Oli. His mum has brought him to stay with his Aunt and Uncle in the countryside, but no one will tell him why his dad isn't with them. Where is he? Has something happened? Oli has a hundred questions, but then he finds a secret of his own: he discovers the creature that lives in the attic...
Eren."c

A beautifully written story about stories, beginnings and endings, imagination and storytelling. The story centres around twelve year old Oli, who knows something has happened to his father, but no one will tell him the truth. He goes up into his uncles loft one day and meets Eren, a strange creature who likes, if not craves, stories. It is hard to decipher now, after reading the novel, what Eren is or if he is an evil being as his physical appearance suggests. After all, he was the only one who truly listened to Oli and tried to teach him the truth about stories.But does this come at a price?

The book itself is a beautiful small hardback with gorgeous illustrations throughout. It is a modern day fairy tale where reality and fantasy meet and submerge together. It is about the truths of myths and legends, of stories past down the centuries and how the end of a story is just the beginning.

All in all a lovely read, incredibly well written and highly recommended for adults and children alike.

Read more about Simon P Clarke here
http://www.simonpclark.com/

Published 18/09/14
You can buy it here

Eren Blog Tour 2014

2014-09-26T07:40:00.002-07:00

I am very excited to be part of the Eren blog tour-check out my review on the 2nd October!

Bookseller Recommendations-Old Favourites

2014-09-26T02:34:00.001-07:00

Working as a bookseller for almost ten years over the years there were a range of books I recommended to customers over and over again. Many customers who are avid readers are always looking for recommendations and keep coming back based on books recommended to them by booksellers. I wanted to share with you today some of the books I must have recommended a thousand times and more often than not customers really enjoyed them.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

This book was recommended to me by a fellow bookseller years ago and I have to be honest and say it wouldn't have been something I would pick up myself. Historical fiction is not necessarily my favourite genre, although I have read a few fantastic historical fiction novels, but this story is just brilliant. The main reason I would recommend this book is the HUGE twist part way through. I love a clever twist, and this book has just that. The characters are incredibly well written and it gives a real insight into life in 1862 in London for those who have to steal to survive.If you haven't read this, do yourself a favour and give it a read.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The story is written in such an understated way that it slowly dawns on the reader what the story is actually about and I love that it is written this way. It is written in a very classic way about a subject matter which belongs in science fiction. It isn't a read which will fill your spirits, but it gives a very clear reality of how the characters feel and how their lives are controlled from childhood. A very sad, yet interesting read and so different to Kazuo's other novels in terms of subject matter. I would also say that the movie isn't so bad, but given the choice, read the book over the movie every day of the week.

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

A well loved novel, this has brought most of my friends to tears by the end of the novel. I do know some have given up reading this part way through as the shifts in time can be confusing. The advice I always tell people is to try to read it from the wife's point of view as this makes it easier to cope with the shifts in time by the husband. Although the subject matter would be classed as science fiction, it is ultimately a love story that is written so uniquely, it is a must read in my opinion.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (YA)

If you have read If I Stay and enjoyed that, then you will love this novel. I actually prefer this.Popular girl Sam lives the same day over and over "Groundhog day style" of the day she is fatally killed in a car accident. As she relives this day over and over she starts to realise that she wasn't a very nice person and throughout the novel she learns her mistakes and ultimately fixes them before passing on. Whilst the subject matter is a sad tragic event, the way the story is written is so interesting and moving, and highlights how easy it is to be self-absorbed, especially as a teenager. Get your tissues at the ready for this one.

In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami

Firstly, do not read this book if you dislike reading about hard core violence, but if you can put that to one side just for this book, I would highly recommend it.( I struggled, but it was worth it) It is one of those books where you aren't sure what to believe and the truth is so shocking and awful, it really packs a huge punch.Kenji is the main character hired to show an American tourist Frank, around Tokyo. Kenji starts to think Frank may be something rather sinister, but frankly Kenji is not the most upstanding of people, so his thoughts are not necessarily to be entertained...There is an awful shocking scene midway through, totally out of the blue, and whilst I had to skim read the details, it is such a unique novel, short, full of punches and will leave you feeling like you need a lie down. I still recommend reading it though..

New Book Releases I Can't Wait To Read-FALL 2014

2014-09-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

As we are now in September the arrival of a delude of new book releases has begun, each vying for the Christmas book buying market. The run up to Christmas is a huge time for publishers, authors and booksellers as people not only buy books for themselves but also for gifts for others. There are lots of fantastic books coming out in the next few months from very popular authors and below I wanted to list just a few of the books I am very excited to read and would make great gifts for Chr...no I won't say it!

September 2014

Day 21 by Kass Morgan-Released September 16th

The sequel to 'The 100' which is now a hit TV series as well. Great novels, full of twists and turns, a good sci-fi novel for teens featuring teens( including some very evil ones...)

Sunrise by Victoria Hislop-Released September 25th.

The new release from bestselling author Hislop set in Formagusta in Cyprus as the war between Turkey and Greece cause destruction to the resort and to the people of Cyprus.

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion-Released September 25th The follow up to The Rosie Project, an essential read for lover's of the first novel.

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide-PB released September 25th I love Japanese fiction and this looks to be a very interesting read where a mystery cat brings love and life back into an unhappy couples lives in Tokyo.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld-Released September 25th I have been a huge fan of the 'Uglies' series by Westerfeld for many years and I can't wait to read this new novel from the Australian author.

October/November/December 2014

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick-Released October 7th. I am a huge fan of the Hush Hush series by Becca and I am sure I will like this novel too which is a 'romantic thriller'.

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty-Released 23rd October. I really enjoyed The Husband's Secret and Little Lies, by Liane.This should also be a corker!

The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes-Released 6th November. I have never been a 'chick-lit' fan, but Marian's novels are so well written, clever, sad and funny that I always look forward to a new novel by the lovely lady.

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny-Released November 6th. My mother is a massive fan of Louise Penny, so she will also be very excited about her new crime thriller release.

MELT by Selene Castrovilla-Released November 6th.Marketed as a 'brutal love story' set against the backdrop of The Wizard of Oz, this looks intriguing to say the least.

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant- Released December 9th. A new coming of age novel about family, friendship and feminsim from the best selling author of The Red Tent.Can't wait.

Which novels are you excited to read this winter?

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

2014-08-27T03:38:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I haven't read any of Karen Joy Fowler's previous novels, but was drawn to this one for some reason. I didn't know what it was about, but I had read on social media that a few people I knew really enjoyed it. I won't be revealing the twist or too much of the story but I do have to say that after reading about two quarters of the novel I had to stop for the evening as I was absolutely heartbroken and so upset. Animal lovers be prepared for tears!

What is the novel about?

Firstly I would say that this novel is very unique, both the subject matter and the way in which it is written are different to the norm. Whilst it is written extremely well, with humour and with heart, I sometimes found the back and forth nature of the timeline could be slightly confusing. The novel starts with the middle of the story. Rose is at University and she tells us that both her sister and brother have left the family and she feels like an only child. She tells us about her life at the University culminating in her being arrested mistakenly after another girl goes crazy in the canteen smashing everything up. She tells us about what happened when she was five, she was sent to live with her Grandparents and she thought she would never live with her family again, and when she returned to the family three weeks later, her sister Fern was gone and not long after, her brother Lowell left.

The Twist

The twist happens quite near the beginning of the book, probably about a quarter of the way through. Needless to say, I will not say what that is, but it absolutely changes the novel entirely. Rose explains about what happened before she was sent to her Grandparents and the general issue of memory, whether it can be trusted, whether our memories tell us the whole picture, or are we in fact hiding things even from ourselves? There is a lot of physiological theories discussed within the novel, both because of the twist and also because in the novel, Rose's father is a phycologist so it has always been part of her life.After we learn about some of her early childhood, we go back and forth somewhat until the end, which is the age Rose is now as she narrates the story to us.

The characters

Rose is the narrator of the novel and she talks to us as readers, which I really enjoyed and she could be very witty and clever, At University she shares a flat with her friend Todd, but generally finds it very hard to make friends.She makes a sort of friend in the crazy girl who smashed up the canteen, Harlow, who takes Rose drinking and gives her drugs and gets her arrested twice! But, really Rose finds it hard to conform to society as she is not being herself which is revealed as the book progresses. Her parents are in the background for the most part , but we learn more about their pain and suffering as the novel goes on. Her brother and sister Fern are also huge parts of the story, in a number of ways and covering a number of themes and issues.

In conclusion, without revealing too much, I would certainly recommend reading this if you are a book lover. it is very well written, very unique and heartbreaking at the same time.

WordsOnToast

Summer Reads - Review of The Olive Branch by Jo Thomas

The plotline

Review of The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Review of The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker

Twist after twist

Review of In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

What is the story about?

The start of modern day aviation

The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

Decisions made

Review of One Small Act of Kindness by Lucy Dillon

Libby's one small act of kindness

Before I go to Sleep

Review of Day Four by Sarah Lotz

The characters

My thoughts....

Review of Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent

Irish thriller

Review of The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Theriault

My thoughts

Review of The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

I couldn't stop reading (cliche I know)

Review of The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard

Revenge

Got to be perfect or else...

Review of the Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins

What happens in the book?

Review of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

The reasons I loved it

Review of Landline by Rainbow Rowell

A great twist

Blog Tour-Review for Breeder by K.B Hoyle

What is the novel about?

Breeder Blog Tour December 2014

Graphic Novel Review- Sex Criminals Volume 1

Original and witty

Review of Daughter by Jane Shemilt

Then and Now

Conclusion

Review of The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop

Publisher-Headline Review25th September 2014

Worth the wait

Review of Butter by Erin Jade Lange

New Years Eve

Eren by Simon P Clark- Blog Tour Stop

Eren Blog Tour 2014

Bookseller Recommendations-Old Favourites

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (YA)

In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami

New Book Releases I Can't Wait To Read-FALL 2014

September 2014

October/November/December 2014

Which novels are you excited to read this winter?

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

What is the novel about?

The Twist

The characters

Publisher-Headline Review
25th September 2014